Our silence is killing us: mental health in the community

Muguette Guenneguez on the set of the Morning Update Show (Photo Jake Gravbrot)

Muguette Guenneguez is the Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Seattle. She came by the Morning Update Show to discuss how her organization is working to bring mental health support to Black communities.

Guenneguez says she’s working to address gaps in treatment and support for the Black community through a grassroots, peer-focused approach which seeks to eliminate stigma and increase awareness around these issues. 

“Mental health is not something you talk about when somebody is sick,” Guenneguez said. “Mental health is something you talk about constantly, because the community has been dealing with this for the last 400 years.”

Guenneguez recalled a conversation she had two years ago when describing one way she’s taking action.

“This woman said, ‘Muguette, the church is our spiritual hospital’. And I said, ‘Okay, I need to be in those Black churches, because I need to speak to the people that are coming there or going there every week’,” Guenneguez said. “But I also need to speak to the pastors because they have a bully pulpit, and I want them to use the message that mental illness is not your fault.”

Guenneguez grew up in New York. She said when her or her siblings would get sick, they were ashamed. Now, she hopes others don’t have to live that same experience.

“I wish there was a NAMI at the time to really reach out to and understand what this diagnosis was about,” Guenneguez said. “It's no one's fault. Some people are predisposed to mental struggles, because of the history that black people have dealt with in this country.”

She emphasized the importance of creating a good support system for yourself. She says the people you surround yourself with have a critical impact on your mental state. 

“You really need a support system around you. You can live your life, you can have a job, you can have families, people live with mental illness, but the support system that is needed to make sure that happens often is not around in our communities,” Guenneguez said. 

She hopes that people realize support is available if they need it. NAMI offers multiple support groups, including specific ones for individuals diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or who are bipolar. These groups are available free of charge on a drop-in basis to anyone who needs them. 

“Often it is good to identify the people that are going through that support system,” Guenneguez said. “So therefore, that is why we have the bipoc support system.”

She also said she believes that through empowering Black health professionals that more accurate diagnoses can be made. 

“Mental health is often not even seen in the whole body of a human being, it's separate from health. Mental health should be part of total body health,” Guenneguez said. “This is an occurrence for African Americans that is really hurting us. We often don't have enough providers, we are often being misdiagnosed and taking medication for something that is probably not appropriate.”

Her final message was clear: “All I want to say is that mental struggles, mental challenges, they’re nothing to be ashamed of.”

If you or a loved one could benefit from NAMI, call 425-298-5135 or email helpline@NAMISeattle.org. More information is available at https://www.namiseattle.org